Exotic Locales, Family, Humor and Iowa
10 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Note to Self - Lessons Tags: 2012, arabic calendar, good day, March 10
March 10th was a good day.
In the morning air, I felt the seasonal shift from winter to spring.
In the afternoon, yoga class was excused early and I got to enjoy the sunshine.
In the evening, I discovered Tales of Dragons, Rabbits and Roosters was viewed 149 times, the highest daily count yet.
It was a good day.
21 Feb 2012 2 Comments
in Note to Self - Lessons Tags: Bahrain, cultural differences, culture, donkeys, english equivalent, give an inch, Nissan Truck, photo, proverbs, sayings
نتركه في وأحضر حماره أيضا.
Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile.
from Apricots Tomorrow
A collection of Arabic sayings and their English equivalent. Compiled by Primrose Arnander and Ashkhain Skipwith
It is interesting how wisdom is the same. But how we express it is based upon our experience and our culture.
09 Nov 2011 Leave a comment
in Note to Self - Lessons, When Dragons and Rabbits Make Me Laugh - Humor Tags: being mortal, Bewitched, good advice, Humor, mascara, Samantha
Samantha and Darren York on Bewitched 1968
Getting “dressed” is not my favorite thing. If only I could be like Samantha the suburban housewife on Bewitched who snapped her fingers to work her magic.
I know I should be more current and wish to be Alex from Wizards of Waverly Place, but UNICEF ambassador, eco-clothes designer, singer Selena Gomez I am not. And Justin Bieber could learn from Mojo.
My Husband Mojo
I am quite certain that unlike Selena Gomez, I study the clock to figure out what is the last possible minute before I must get ready.
While my mind is distracted trying to create a matching ensemble, like unappreciated children, my makeup likes to gang up on me.
Usually my mascara is the rebel. The later I am, the more likely I sneeze as soon as I apply the mascara; or the wand flips onto my new dress; or I get a dot of black on my finger and smear it on my check; or I jab myself in the eye and I must put in a fresh contact lens and wipe off the black tears dripping down my face.
The other day I was in too much of a hurry to bother with the lighted mirror. I squinted into my makeup bag, pulled out a pencil and finished applying color to my eyebrows. The pencil glided over my brows so nicely. As I surveyed the end result, I thought, My – what dark eyebrows you have my dear.
I zoomed in closer.
My eyebrows were Slate Grey.
My eyeliner and eyebrow pencil have joined in the fun and pulled a “Parent Trap” on me.
Note to Self: Be thankful you still have eyebrows and eyelashes. Accept your mortal powers and give yourself an extra 15-minutes to get ready.
13 Oct 2011 Leave a comment
in Healing - Self and the Earth, Note to Self - Lessons Tags: Cher, Gratitude, Happiness, James Fowler, Martin Seligman, Nicholas Christakis
My Self
Only 10 blogs written and now I’ve gone and done it. I transformed into the snarly blogger I swore I would not. In My Mojo Floweth Over I called the man who made fun of Cher an “ugly, chubby man”.
Late during the night my Self who looked amazing like Jiminy Cricket woke me up to point out my error.
“Eva – why was it necessary to send that man negative energy” asked my Self/Jiminy.
I reminded Jiminy that I am a Scorpion who is known for its vengeful tail. And occasionally my shadow side flares up.
Jiminy said “And I am a cricket known for not being defeated by a whale’s tail. Did you think you could not be a real Blogger without acting like the other donkeys?”
Good point.
As I wrote in About Eva I desire to have the joy of a life lived well. And I hope that makes me happy. But happiness alone is not the same thing as happiness shared.
Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Center, wrote “The single most effective way to turbocharge your joy is to make a gratitude visit. That means writing a testimonial thanking anyone to whom you owe a debt of gratitude and then visit that person to read him or her the letter of appreciation.” This is why I am blogging. I am writing my public letter of gratitude, thanking LIFE.
Happiness Love Company
I share my happiness because “Happiness is also a collective phenomenon that spreads through social networks like an emotional contagion.” In 2008, Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler published a study showing “One person’s happiness triggers a chain reaction that benefits not only his friends, but his friends’ friends and his friends’ friends’ friends’.”
Happiness extends outward to 3 degrees of separation whereas sadness does not spread the same way. “Someone you don’t know and have never met – the friend of a friend of a friend – can have a greater influence than hundreds of bills in your pocket,” wrote Fowler.
By celebrating Life and knowing Mojo I figure happiness will spread.
My Grateful Self
It doesn’t excuse my writing but only demonstrates that every day I must recommit to happiness and gratitude.
Tales of Dragons, Rabbits and Roosters 